Kelly was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on October 2, 1968, Willis was the youngest of three children. While her father was a U.S. Army colonel, Willis’ mother had a strong interest in music and sang and acted in amateur musicals. Willis began singing when she was nine as a way to comfort herself after her parents divorced.
==Career==
Willis joined her first band in high school. Her boyfriend, drummer Mas Palermo, introduced Willis to his rockabilly band. The band took her on as the lead vocalist and soon rechristened the band Kelly Willis & the Fireballs. After Willis’ high school graduation, the band decided to move to Austin, Texas, to participate in the vibrant Austin music scene. After a few months in Austin, however, the band broke up. Willis and Palermo, married in 1989, formed a new band called Radio Ranch. In Austin, Willis attracted the notice of several influential Texas singer-songwriters including Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. Griffith introduced MCA producer Tony Brown to Willis. Brown was very impressed with Willis’ vocal abilities and signed her to the MCA label in 1989.
MCA embarked on a big marketing campaign to tout Willis after she recorded her first album on the label, the 1990 album ''Well Travelled Love''. MCA ensured that Willis was interviewed by several national magazines including unusual venues like ''Vogue'' and ''Mademoiselle''. Her voice appeared in the 1991 Ridley Scott-produced movie ''Thelma and Louise'', singing "Little Honey." Willis also had a small part in Tim Robbins’ 1992 film ''Bob Roberts''. Despite of all the publicity and positive reviews from most reviewers, ''Well Travelled Love'' and Willis’ subsequent albums for MCA (''Bang Bang'' in 1991 and ''Kelly Willis'' in 1993) sold modestly and received very little radio play. During this time, Willis felt uncomfortable with the way she was marketed by MCA. In 1994, MCA released Willis from her contract.
Willis continued to pursue her music career after leaving MCA. In 1996, she recorded an EP for A&M Records entitled ''Fading Fast''. However, her relationship with A&M was short-lived; after working with two major labels, Willis decided to record her next album on her own. Her efforts resulted in the 1999 album ''What I Deserve'', which Willis sold to Rykodisc after finishing the album. ''What I Deserve'' received quite a bit of press after the album’s release. It was commonly seen as Willis’ response to her history with MCA, and was uniformly praised by critics, becoming a hit for Willis.
In 2003, Willis and Bruce Robison, her husband and fellow country musician, released the record ''Happy Holidays'', a cover album of Christmas songs.
In Fall 2007, Willis released ''Translated From Love''. It was recorded at Robison's studio, Premium Recording Services, in Austin, TX. and produced by Chuck Prophet, formerly of the band Green On Red. The album is co-written by Willis, Prophet and notable songwriter Jules Shear, and includes a cover version of Iggy Pop's "Success."
In early 2008, Willis announced she would take an indefinite hiatus from live performances due to family obligations. Said Willis in a website announcement, "Being a traveling musician with four kids may not make an extremely compelling reality TV show but it is kicking my butt. I plan to continue making records. And I may do the occasional holiday show/song swap/benefit here and there.... Happy trails...until we meet again." Her winter/spring 2008 scheduled dates continued as planned until the final show May 2, 2008.
Willis has recently begun to tour outside of Texas again; first she headlined the Northern Rockies Folk Festival in Hailey, Idaho on August 7, 2010. Next up, she is scheduled to perform at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco on October 2, 2010.
==Personal life==
She is married to country singer-songwriter Bruce Robison.
Official website: http://www.kellywillis.me
Facebook fan site: http://www.facebook.com/KellyWillisRobison
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KellyWRobison
Red Sunset
Kelly Willis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And sit and watch that evening sun go down upon the moutain side
And with that red sun warming our hearts he told me what we would do
But as his heart grew colder my sunsets turned to blue
I lost my baby to the red sunset I lost my baby to the red sunset
I know he's coming but he ain't back yet I lost my baby to the red sunset
But now every time I see it it just tears me apart
We used to watch it set and it would set us free
But then that red sunset stole my baby from me
Now there's a hundred pretty girls in this town and not one of them shy
They could never turn his head even once no matter how they tried
But I could sleep at night just knowing it was one of then that took him from me
But he left me here and told me there was something he needed to see
I lost my baby to the red sunset...
[ guitar ]
Well that red sunset used to warm our hearts...
Now there's a hundred pretty girls in this town and not one of them shy
They could never turn his head even once no matter how they tried
But I could sleep at night just knowing it was one of them that took him from me
But he left me here and told me there was something he needed to see
I lost my baby to the red sunset...
I lost my baby to the red sunset...
In Kelly Willis's song Red Sunset, the singer reminisces about a time when she and her lover used to catch an old train and watch the sun set over the mountain side. The red sun would warm their hearts, and they would talk about their dreams and plans for the future. However, as her lover's heart grew colder, the sunsets turned blue for the singer. She lost her baby to the red sunset, and even though she knows he's coming back, he hasn't returned yet. The red sunset, which used to set them free, now tears her apart every time she sees it.
The singer says there are a hundred pretty girls in town who can't turn her lover's head, but he still leaves her to see something he needs to see. She can sleep at night knowing it wasn't one of the other girls who took him from her, but the fact remains that she lost him to the red sunset. The song is a poignant reflection on lost love and how the things that used to bring joy and warmth to a relationship can turn cold and painful.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to catch that old train every night about a quarter to five
We had a routine of hopping on the train every evening around 4:45 PM.
And sit and watch that evening sun go down upon the mountain side
We would then enjoy the beautiful sight of the sun setting on the mountainside.
And with that red sun warming our hearts he told me what we would do
During these sunsets, he would share his dreams and aspirations with me, leaving me with hope and warmth in my heart.
But as his heart grew colder my sunsets turned to blue
Over time, his love and affection for me faded away, leaving me feeling heartbroken and alone during our sunset viewings.
I lost my baby to the red sunset I lost my baby to the red sunset
The sunset that used to bring us so much joy and hope ended up taking my lover away from me.
I know he's coming but he ain't back yet I lost my baby to the red sunset
Although I hold onto hope that he will return to me someday, the memories of our sunset viewings bring back the pain of his absence.
Well that red sunset used to warm our hearts
The beautiful sight of the red sunset would fill us with warmth and happiness in the past.
But now every time I see it it just tears me apart
Now, every time I witness this sunset, it only brings me sorrow and heartache.
We used to watch it set and it would set us free
Before our relationship turned sour, watching the sunset would bring us both feelings of freedom and relief.
But then that red sunset stole my baby from me
However, the same sunset that once brought us joy ended up taking my lover away from me.
Now there's a hundred pretty girls in this town and not one of them shy
Despite the many other attractive girls in our town, not one of them could catch his attention.
They could never turn his head even once no matter how they tried
Despite their best efforts, he remained unaffected by their charms.
But I could sleep at night just knowing it was one of then that took him from me
I found relief in the thought that it wasn't because he found someone better, but that he simply left me to pursue his own needs.
But he left me here and told me there was something he needed to see
Regardless of his reasons, he did leave me behind and pursue what he felt he needed to do for himself.
I lost my baby to the red sunset...
This phrase repeats throughout, emphasizing the pain and heartache the red sunset brought upon the singer and her lost lover.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind